Best Antivirus Free Trial Downloads of 2025

Antivirus software providers offer more features, plans, and products than we can count. To test an entire package, you’ll likely have to pay for a year-long subscription. This approach is costly, inefficient, and time-consuming. Ultimately, you might end up with a full-year subscription to a product you don't like.

The good news? We've already done all the research for you. We picked Bitdefender Total Security as the best antivirus free trial because there is no credit card required at sign up, and you can try the top-notch security suite for 30 days.

McAfee Total Protection and Norton 360 are other high-quality antivirus programs that are worth checking out for their features and free trial periods. All three real-time antivirus solutions stop malware, protect you from online scams, and keep your sensitive data private. Most importantly, you can test them extensively without breaking the bank.

Keep reading to learn why we chose these services as our best antivirus trial downloads.

The best antivirus trial downloads

Bitdefender, McAfee, and Norton offer top-level protection, free trials, and lengthy money-back guarantee periods. We think Bitdefender is the best overall because you can try out the security suite without having to input your credit card information. Plus, Bitdefender's free trial period is a whopping 30 days, which is 4x that of most competitors. Unlike with Bitdefender, McAfee's 30-day free trial requires payment info. Comparatively, Norton offers a 7-day free trial only, but you get a solid 60-day money-back guarantee period. 

With its Family Pack and advanced parental controls, Bitdefender is ideal for families. McAfee is best for individual users since its most affordable plans cover only one adult. That way, you don't pay for more than you need. Norton offers a robust cybersecurity suite that you can bundle with identity theft protection. In fact, Norton offers the highest identity theft insurance compared to other security bundles.

• Bitdefender: Best for families
• McAfee: Best for individuals
• Norton: Best for identity theft protection

Top 3 best antivirus trials compared

Antivirus	Our Pick
Star ratings	5.0 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.8 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	5.0 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Price	$29.99–$40.99/first yr	$29.99–$249.99/yr	$29.99–$299.99/first yr
Free version
Free trial	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 7 days
Credit card required for trial
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 60 days
Malware protection score	99.98%	99.95%	99.96%
Performance impact*	19.9	2.6	7.6
Features	Phishing protection, a VPN, a firewall, network protection, activity modes, anti-tracking, Wi-Fi Security Advisor, social media protection, webcam and microphone protection, spam filters, parental controls, device optimization tools, and more	Identity theft protection, password manager, privacy suite, a VPN, parental controls, file shredder, web protection, a firewall, personalized security assessments, and more	Cloud backup, password manager, a VPN, dark web monitoring, privacy monitor, parental controls, LifeLock identity theft protection, and more
Learn more	Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review	Get McAfee Read McAfee Review	Get Norton Read Norton Review

How we tested the best antivirus trial downloads

We wanted to make sure the options we recommended included top-rated antivirus products we’d tested ourselves. Bitdefender, McAfee, and Norton, as well as also our honorable mentions, are all rated highly by independent third-party tests and include features that set them apart from the lighter antivirus products on the market. Here are the factors we kept in mind while compiling this guide:

• Full malware protection, not just antivirus
• Automatic security updates
• High third-party test scores
• Positive reviews on community forums like TrustPilot and Reddit
• A variety of features like anti-hacking and phishing protection
• Good device and platform coverage
• A generous refund period
• Smooth performance that doesn't cause lag

We use our proprietary grading rubric in all of our testing, which considers ease-of-use, third-party testing scores, internal testing scores, price, compatibility, and features offered, among other metrics. 

This means that our testing process is designed to ensure that the product isn't too confusing, protects as it claims, and offers you a lot for a reasonable price. We download and run each program on our own computers on home networks, just like you would. Our ratings reflect the real-world performance of the antivirus product. This ensures that we can recreate a similar experience for you and give our best advice on whether or not it's worthwhile.

To learn more about how we test, check out our full antivirus testing methodology here.

Bitdefender: Best for families

Who it’s best for

Bitdefender is ideal if you're looking for a family-centric service. One subscription can protect all the devices in your household against computer viruses and other threats. It can also filter inappropriate content and optimize your children's gaming and streaming. It can also protect them on social media and limit their screen time.

What we liked

Family protection: Bitdefender includes many valuable features, such as the Family Pack covering up to 15 devices. With its intuitive controls, you can quickly identify threats and boost your online security. Bitdefender is ideal for families because each member can fully customize their own experience. 

Included perks: We like the integrated extras, like gaming mode, which ensures distraction-free gaming and focuses system resources on your games. We’re also big fans of Bitdefender’s parental controls. Features like location tracking and contact monitoring let you give your children independence while ensuring their safety.

What we didn’t like

Limited iOS features: Many of Bitdefender's features are not available on iOS. If you want to secure your iPhone, we recommend using the 30-day free trial to test the service and see if it works for you.

Bitdefender specs

Price range	$29.99–$40.99/first yr
Free version	Yes
Free trial	Yes — 30 days
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Phishing protection	Yes
Ransomware protection	Yes
Webcam protection	Yes
Network protection	Yes
Parental controls	Yes
Extras	VPN, firewall, activity modes (game/work/movie), anti-tracking, Wi-Fi Security Advisor, social media protection, spam filters, device optimization tools, and more
Learn more	Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review

McAfee: Best for individuals

Who it’s best for

We recommend McAfee if you're looking for antivirus protection and features that cater more to singles than families. It offers a personalized protection score and identity monitoring. This service is ideal if you want a bevy of security options without paying for a family plan.

What we liked

Web protection: We like McAfee's web security features. It can flag malicious websites and scams, detect phishing attempts, and even alert you if it finds your info on the dark web. The file shredder ensures anything you delete from your computer is completely gone. If you trade-in or sell a device, a file shredder guarantees no one can pull residual information from your hard drive.

Extras: The personalized protection score lets you evaluate your overall safety. McAfee Safe Connect VPN and firewall are also included in the trial and can add an extra layer of privacy and security.

What we didn’t like

Confusing plans: McAfee offers a lot of plans and products, which can be confusing. Depending on your chosen options, it can also get quite expensive. In addition, its scam detection is overly sensitive and often flags harmless messages.

McAfee specs

Price range	$29.99–$249.99/yr
Free version	No
Free trial	Yes — 30 days
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Phishing protection	Yes
Ransomware protection	Yes
Webcam protection	No
Network protection	Yes
Parental controls	Yes
Extras	Identity theft protection, password manager, privacy suite, a VPN, parental controls, file shredder, web protection, a firewall, personalized security assessments, and more
Learn more	Get McAfee Read McAfee Review

Norton: Best for identity theft protection

Who it’s best for

We recommend Norton if you're concerned about identity theft but also want solid online security. Norton 360 Antivirus can be bundled with LifeLock, a separate identity theft protection package. It's the best option with the highest identity theft insurance on the market.

What we liked

Robust identity theft protection: LifeLock by Norton offers up to $3 million in identity theft coverage. Along with its white-glove remediation specialists, it provides the resources to restore your identity and prevent future theft. In other words, Norton can protect you from identity thieves or help you recover as quickly as possible. You can get these options by purchasing one of the Norton + LifeLock plans. 

Extras: Some of the valuable extras include Norton Secure VPN, a dark web monitor, and even cloud storage. The encrypted storage keeps sensitive files hidden and off your hard drive. Combine all of that with Norton’s LifeLock for identity theft protection, and you have an impressively powerful security suite.

What we didn’t like

Pricey: It’s not the most budget-friendly option for individuals or families. While the Norton 360 plans do include a lot, they’re also costly. Renewal pricing is also higher than first-year pricing, which doesn’t make sense to us.

Norton specs

Price range	$29.99–$299.99/first yr
Free version	No
Free trial	Yes — 7 days
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 60 days
Phishing protection	Yes
Ransomware protection	Yes
Webcam protection	Yes
Network protection	Yes
Parental controls	Yes
Extras	Cloud backup, password manager, a VPN, dark web monitoring, privacy monitor, LifeLock identity theft protection, and more
Learn more	Get Norton Read Norton Review

Honorable mentions

If you're looking for top-tested freemium antivirus protection, TotalAV, AVG, and Avast offer totally free downloads. However, free antivirus downloads are always limited compared to premium packages. Even still, using a free antivirus is the best way to see if it works for you before upgrading. 

FAQs

Bottom line

We always recommend testing an antivirus program thoroughly before buying a subscription. That's where trial periods come in: you need services that let you test their products without any limitations for 30+ days. We think Bitdefender offers the best free trial because you can test out the security suite for 30 days without inputting your credit card information. 

McAfee also offers a 30-day free trial, but your payment information is required. Although Norton 360's antivirus trial is limited to 7 days, you can try out a premium subscription with its generous 60-day money-back guarantee. 

These three antivirus software can protect you and your family from online threats while allowing you to make an informed decision after in-depth testing.

3 best antivirus trial downloads 2025

	Starting price	Best for	Learn more
	$29.99/first yr	Best for families	Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review
	$39.99/first yr	Best for individuals	Get McAfee Read McAfee Review
	$29.99/first yr	Best for identity theft protection	Get Norton Read Norton Review